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week in the life 2017 | friday words and photos

The end of the “work week” is as it began, with me on call. As I go through the day, I look at Facebook and instagram intermittently, enjoying views of other Week in the Life participants and so astonished that for so many, Friday is actually Friday. I mean, I know that most people don’t routinely work the weekends like I do. I just thought there were more people who did work weekends. Since I started working when I was 16, I have always had a job that required me to work evenings and weekends (worked in a movie theater, then various retail gigs, and now work in a hospital). Occasionally, when I see people out having fun or celebrating the weekend (a word that has almost lost all meaning for me), I get a little sad I don’t have the regular M-F, 8-5. More often, I’m grateful I can go to Costco on a Thursday afternoon when I have the time or get to doctor’s appointments with a minimum of fuss.

6:59 | My day starts off with me running about 10 minutes late. I woke up early because I had some extra things I needed to do (including yesterday’s blog post) and I just didn’t give myself enough time. I actually hate being late when I am. I don’t do it because I think my time is more valuable than everyone else’s. It happens because I’m so damn optimistic that I think I can cram more into an allotted time frame than I actually can. Regardless of the reason, I need to get better.

7:57 | Our morning table rounds are completed and I sit in the break room to have my breakfast. Ok, here’s the cloth napkin story: I care about the environment. I really do. But not enough to not drive an SUV and for my wife to drive a Challenger Hellcat (18 and 13 mpg, respectively). To help offset that, I keep the usage of disposable things to an absolute minimum. So, actual silverware and cloth napkins. Plus we try not to use plastic things; you may have seen the little brown bag I use to transport my sandwiches. I know, it may not totally offset our gas guzzlers, but it makes me feel a little better about it. Judge me if you must.

9:28 | Lots of feet/scrubs standing around in a circle can only mean one thing: rounds.

9:44 | One of the back hallways near the ORs. The entrance to the locker rooms is just ahead on the right.

10:56 | I’m grateful that the day isn’t too busy (yet), so I head over to the trauma office to help prepare for Sunday’s site visit and review some charts.

11:39 | Still here, in the thick of it.

12:41 | When I’m on call, I pass by or through these doors multiple times. Beyond them lies the operating rooms.

12:55 | Lunch is leftover shepherd’s pie from Monday. Still just as good! I eat at my desk as I look at blogs and others’ Week in the Life stuff.

17:12 | I’m still in my office, doing charting and going over more stuff for Sunday. I’m listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast in the background.

18:00 | I’m the only one left in the office; everyone else left at 1700 or earlier. I go through and turn off all the lights and love seeing the light come in through the window in my office. I wonder if a dSLR would give this photo a different feel or if it’s something that I could even capture. I can’t seem to figure those damn things out. And I’m good at figuring out things, so it frustrates me.

19:18 | Love seeing these happy little flowers just outside one of the employee entrances. Getting joy wherever I can find it.

19:32 | Nothing much going on at the hospital, so I head home for some dinner. I walk to get the mail. Love our home.

19:42 | Turns out getting the mail was a mistake, since it took away precious minutes I could have been eating. Just as I prepare to take my first bite of dinner that was ready for me when I got home (SO grateful for this!), the scream of the trauma pager (aka electronic leash) fills the air and I need to return to the hospital immediately. Unsure if I will be able to return relatively soon, which sometimes happens, Tracy waits to eat until about 21:00, even though I tell her not to. She eats, puts foil over it, and heads to bed. These are the times I’m not super excited about what I do.

20:23 | Trauma taken care of, I head to the OR lounge to wait for a case to start that I just acquired from the Emergency Department. My dinner options lie within…

20:48 | Hurry up, wait. Hurry up, wait. Happens a lot during call days. Thankfully, we have directv and I find Family Guy for a couple of laughs.

23:10 | I know this is going to sound like a total douche bag move, but on the way home I hit up McDonald’s. I almost never eat here. But I was in such a foul mood and so hungry, I just wanted to eat bad things. Lord knows I could skip a meal (or twenty) and these bad choices only hurt me, not the universe, but I make it anyway. Tracy understands and is only sad she wasn’t awake so she could eat McDonald’s with me, when I tell her about it the next morning. She’s so understanding and loving and supportive. I’m so grateful for her.

23:40 | My midnight snack is all done, so Maggie curls up, as per her usual. She’s not used to us staying up so late. She’s very welcoming.

It takes a while for me to wind down and I end up getting into bed at 00:45. Oof.

2 thoughts on “week in the life 2017 | friday words and photos”

I totally relate to the weekends aren’t weekends. DH and I have bee. In hotels and now he’s an RN, so we rarely have a weekend free. And when we do, just like you, I wish for my Thursday Costco crowds!

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Welcome to my little corner of the internet! Here you'll find musings, adventures big and small, creative projects and more. Some of the bits that make up my life. Because I believe everyone has a story worth telling.